the captives-第102章

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ier　by　his　visit。　Her　pluck　returned。　She　needed　it。　Grace　was　now　stirred　by　the　most　active　of　all　her　passionsfear。

Nevertheless　Grace　and　Paul　behaved　very　well。　Maggie　understood　the　shock　that　visit　must　have　given　them。　She　watched　Grace　imagining　the　excited　stories　that　would　flow　from　the　lips　of　Miss　Purves　and　Mrs。　Maxse。　She　was　determined；　however；　that　Grace　and　Paul　should　not　suffer　in　silenceand　Uncle　Mathew　must　be　vindicated。

At　supper　that　night　she　plunged：

〃Uncle　Mathew's　been　very　ill；〃　she　began；　〃for　a　long　time　now。　He　wasn't　himself　this　afternoon；　I'm　afraid。　He　was　very　upset　at　some　news　that　he'd　just　had。　And　then　meeting　so　many　strangers　at　once…　…〃

Maggie　saw　that　Grace　avoided　her　eyes。

〃I　don't　think　we'll　discuss　it；　Maggie；　if　you　don't　mind。　Mr。　Cardinal　was　strange　in　his　behaviour；　certainly。　It　was　a　pity　that　Miss　Purves　came。　But　it's　better　not　to　discuss　it。〃

〃I　don't　agree；〃　said　Maggie。　〃If　you　think　that　I'm　ashamed　of　Uncle　Mathew　you're　quite　wrong。　He's　very　unhappy　and　lonely〃　She　felt　her　voice　tremble。　〃He　hasn't　got　any　one　to　look　after　him〃

Grace's　hand　was　trembling　as　she　nervously　crumbled　her　bread。　Still　without　looking　at　Maggie　she　said：

〃By　the　way；　you　did　the　church　flowers　this　morning　didn't　you；　eh？〃

Maggie　turned　white　and；　as　always　on　these　occasions；　her　heart　thumped；　leaping；　as　it　seemed；　into　the　very　palms　of　her　hands。

〃But　it　was　to…morrow〃　she　began。

〃You　remember　that　I　told　you　three　days　ago　that　it　was　to　be　this　morning　instead　of　the　usual　Thursday　because　of　the　Morgans'　wedding。〃

〃Oh；　Grace；　I'm　so　sorry！　I　had　remembered；　I　had　indeed；　and　then　Lucy　suddenly　having　that　chill。〃

Paul　struck　in。　〃Really；　Maggie；　that's　too　bad。　No　flowers　to…　morrow？　Those　others　were　quite　dead　yesterday。　I　noticed　at　evensong　。　。　。　Really；　really。　And　the　Morgans'　wedding！〃

Maggie　sat　there；　trembling。

〃I'm　very　sorry；〃　she　said；　almost　whispering。　Why　did　fate　play　against　her？　Why；　when　she　might　have　fought　the　Uncle　Mathew　battle　victoriously；　had　Grace　suddenly　been　given　this　weapon　with　which　to　strike？

〃I'll　go　and　do　them　now；〃　she　said。　〃I　can　take　those　flowers　out　of　the　drawing…room。〃

〃It's　done；〃　Grace　slowly　savouring　her　triumph。　〃I　did　them　myself　this　afternoon。〃

〃Then　you　should　have　told　me　that！〃　Maggie　burst　out。　〃It's　not　fair　making　me　miserable　just　for　your　own　fun。　You　don't　know　how　you　hurt；　Grace。　You're　cruel；　you're　cruel！〃

She　had　a　horrible　fear　lest　she　should　burst　into　tears。　To　save　that　terrible　disaster　she　jumped　up　and　ran　out　of　the　room；　hearing　behind　her　Paul's　admonitory　〃Maggie；　Maggie！〃

It　is　to　be　expected　that　Mrs。　Maxse　and　Miss　Purves　made　the　most　of　their　story。　The　Rector's　wife　and　a　drunken　uncle！　No；　it　was　too　good　to　be　true　。　。　。　but　it　was　true；　nevertheless。　Christmas　passed　and　the　horrible　damp　January　days　arrived。　Skeaton　was　a　dripping　covering　of　emptinesshollow；　shallow；　deserted。　Every　tree；　Maggie　thought；　dripped　twice　as　much　as　any　other　tree　in　Europe。　It　remained　for　Caroline　Purdie　to　complete　the　situation。　One　morning　at　breakfast　the　story　burst　upon　Maggie's　ears。　Grace　was　too　deeply　moved　and　excited　to　remember　her　hostility。　She　poured　out　the　tale。

It　appeared　that　for　many　many　months　Caroline　had　not　been　the　wife　she　should　have　been。　No；　there　had　been　a　young　man；　a　Mr。　Bennett　from　London。　The　whole　town　had　had　its　suspicions；　had　raised　its　pointing　finger；　had　peeped　and　peered　and　whimpered。　The　only　person　who　had　noticed　nothing　was　Mr。　Purdie　himself。　He　must；　of　course；　have　seen　that　his　house　was　filled　with　noisy　young　men　and　noisier　young　women；　he　must　have　realised　that　his　bills　were　high；　that　champagne　was　drunk　and　cards　were　played；　and　that　his　wife's　attire　was　fantastically　gorgeous。　At　any　rate；　if　he　noticed　these　things　he　said　nothing。　He　was　a　dull；　silent；　slow…thinking　man；　people　said。　Then　one　day　he　went　up　to　London　or　rather；　in　the　manner　of　the　best　modern　problem　play；　he　pretended　to　go；　returned　abruptly；　and　discovered　Caroline　in　the　arms　of　Mr。　Bennett。

He　flung　Mr。　Bennett　out　of　the　bedroom　window；　breaking　his　leg　and　his　nose；　and　that　was　why　every　one　knew　the　story。　What　he　said　to　Caroline　was　uncertain。　He　did　not；　however；　pack　her　off；　as　Miss　Purves　said　he　should　have　done；　but　rather　kept　her　in　the　big　ugly　house；　just　as　he　had　done　before；　only　now　without　the　young　men；　the　young　women；　the　champagne　and　the　flowers。

〃I　must　go　and　see　her；〃　said　Maggie　when　she　heard　this　story。

Grace　turned　the　strange　pale　yellow　that　was　her　colour　when　she　was　disturbed。

〃Maggie；〃　she　said；　〃I　warn　you　that　if　you　go　to　see　this　abandoned　woman　you　will　be　insulting　Paul　and　myself　before　the　whole　town。〃

〃She　is　my　friend；〃　said　Maggie。

〃She　is　a　wicked　woman；〃　said　Grace；　breathing　very　heavily；　〃and　you're　a　wicked　woman　if　you　go　to　see　her。　You　have　already　made　Paul　miserable。〃

〃That　is　untrue；〃　Maggie　said　fiercely。　〃It　is　I　that　have　been　miserable。　Not　that　it　hasn't　been　my　own　fault。　I　should　never　have　married　Paul。〃

〃No；　you　should　not；〃　said　Grace；　breathing　as　though　she　had　been　running　very　hard。　〃And　for　that　I　was　partly　to　blame。　But　fancy　what　you've　done　since　you've　been　with　us！　Just　fancy！　It's　terrible　。　。　。　never　a　greater　mistake　。　。　。　never；　never。〃

Maggie　tossed　her　head。　〃Well；　if　it　was　a　mistake；〃　she　said；　〃the　end　of　pretending　has　come　at　last。　I've　been　trying　for　nearly　two　years　now　to　go　your　way　and　Paul's。　I　can't　do　it。　I　can't　alter　myself。　I've　tried；　and　I　can't。　It's　no　use。　Grace；　we'd　never　get　on。　I　see　it's　been　hopeless　from　the　first。　But　you　shan't　make　Paul　hate　me。　You've　been　trying　your　hardest；　but　you　shan't　succeed。　I　know　that　I'm　stupid　and　careless；　but　it's　no　use　my　pretending　to　be　good　and　quiet　and　obedient。　I'm　not　good。　I'm　not　quiet。　I'm　not　obedient。　I'm　going　to　be　myself　now。　I'm　going　to　have　the　friends　I　want　and　do　the　things　I　want。〃

Grace　moved　back　as　though　she　thought　that　Maggie　were　going　to　strike　her。

〃You're　wicked；〃　she　said。　〃What　about　those　letters　in　your　drawer？　You've　never　loved　Paul。〃

〃So　you've　been　opening　my　drawers？〃　said　Maggie。　〃You're　worse　than　I；　Grace。　I　never　opened　any　one's　drawers　nor　read　letters　I　shouldn't。　But　it　doesn't　matter。　There's　nothing　I　want　to　hide。　Paul　knows　all　about　it。　I'm　not　ashamed。〃

〃No；　you're　not；〃　Grace's　eyes　were　large　with　terror。　〃You're　ashamed　at　nothing。　You've　made　every　one　in　the　place　laugh　at　us。　You've　ruined　Paul's　life　hereyes；　you　have。　But　you　don't　care。　Do　you　think　I　mind　for　myself？　But　I　love　Paul；　and　I've　looked　after　him　all　his　life；　and　he　was　happy　until　you　cameyes；　he　was。　You've　made　us　all　laughed　at。　You're　bad　all　through；　Maggie；　and　the　laws　of　the　Church　aren't　anything　to　you　at　all。〃

There　was　a　pause。　Maggie；　a　little　calmer；　realised　Grace；　who　had　sunk　into　a　chair。　She　saw　that　stout　middle…aged　woman　with　the　flat　expressionless　face　and　the　dull　eyes。　She　saw　the　flabby　hands　nervously　trembling；　and　she　longed　suddenly　to　be　kind　and　affectionate。

〃Oh；　Grace；〃　she　cried。　〃I　know　I've　been　everything　I　shouldn't；　only　don't　you　see　I　can't　give　up　my　friends？　And　I　told　Paul　before　we　married　that　I'd　loved　some　one　else　and　wasn't　religious。　But　perhaps　it　isn't　too　late。　Let's　be　friends。　I'll　try　harder　than　ever　before〃

Then　she　saw；　in　the　way　that　Grace　shrank　back；　her　eyes　staring　with　the　glazed　fascination　that　a　bird　has　for　a　snake；　that　there　was　more　than　dislike　and　jealousy　here；　there　was　the　wild　unreasoning　fear　that　a　child　has　for　the　dark。

〃Am　I　like　that？〃　was　her　own　instinctive　shuddering　thought。　Then；　almost　running；　she　rushed　up　to　her　bedroom。




CHAPTER　VII

DEATH　OF　AUNT　ANNE


Maggie；　after　that　flight；　faced　her　empty　room　with　a　sense　of　horror。　Was　there；　truly；　then；　something　awful　about　her？　The　child　（for　she　was　indeed　nothing　more）　looked　into　her　glass；　standing　on　tip…toe　that　she　might　peer　sufficiently　and　saw　her　face；　pale；　with　its　large　dark　eyes　rimmed　by　the　close…